Methods
The
EPINCONT
Study
is part
of a
large
survey
(HUNT
2) performed
in a
county
in Norway
during
1995-97.
All
citizens
aged
13 years
or more
(appr.
100.000)
were
invited.
The
complete
survey
covered
many
topics.
A mailed
questionnaire
was
part
of the
invitation.
Clinical
and
laboratory
tests
were
performed
at the
screening-station,
and
the
participants
received
a second
questionnaire
(this
time
containing
questions
about
urinary
leakage),
which
was
to be
returned
by mail.
27936
(80%)
out
of 34755
participating
community-dwelling
women
aged
20 years
or more,
answered
our
questions
about
frequency
and
severity
of urine
loss,
type
of incontinence,
the
duration
of the
condition,
whether
a doctor
had
been
consulted
on this
matter,
and
to what
extent
the
urinary
leakage
was
experienced
as a
problem.
A validated
severity
index
was
used
to assess
severity
Results
>25%
of the
participating
women
had
urinary
leakage
(n=6876).
Nearly
7% had
significant
incontinence,
defined
as moderate
or severe
incontinence
that
was
also
experienced
as bothersome.
The
prevalence
of both
any
incontinence
and
significant
incontinence
increased
with
increasing
age
(fig.
1).
Half
of the
incontinent
women
were
experiencing
symptoms
of stress
type
incontinence
alone.
Symptoms
of urge
incontinence
alone
affected
11%,
while
mixed
incontinence
was
stated
by 36%
of the
cases.
The
fraction
of stress
incontinence
symptoms
was
highest
among
the
women
between
25 and
49 years
of age,
and
then
there
was
some
relative
decrease
with
increasing
age.
The
severity
of incontinence
varied
between
the
different
types.
The
fraction
of severe
incontinence
was
17%,
28%
and
38%
in the
stress,
urge
and
mixed
groups,
respectively.
Two
thirds
of the
incontinent
women
stated
that
their
leakage
was
no problem
or just
a small
nuisance
while
about
10%
were
much
bothered
or experienced
their
leakage
as a
great
problem.
There
was
a significant
correlation
between
the
severity
index
and
the
rating
of incontinence
as a
problem.
The
impact
of incontinence
differed
between
types.
Among
women
with
symptoms
of mixed
incontinence,
47%
were
bothered.
The
corresponding
figures
for
urge
and
stress
incontinence
were
36%
and
24%,
respectively.
A
total
of 26%
of the
women
had
consulted
a doctor
for
their
incontinence.
Conclusions
Urinary
leakage
is highly
prevalent
among
adult
women,
and
the
prevalence
is increasing
with
increasing
age.
7% have
significant
incontinence,
and
this
group
should
be regarded
as potential
patients.
References:
1.
Validation
of a
severity
index
in female
urinary
incontinence
and
its
implementation
in an
epidemiological
survey.
J Epidemiol
Community
Health
1993;47(6):497-9.
2.
A severity
index
for
epidemiological
surveys
of female
urinary
incontinence.
Comparision
with
48-hour
pad
weighing
tests.
Neurourol
Urodyn
2000;19(2):137-145.
